Coat of arms

Azure, a cross fleurettée or, in base barry-wavy of five azure and argent, issuing from a mount of three coupeaux of the second.

In the coat of arms of the Archdiocese of Boston, the "trimount" (or "mount of three coupreaux") is symbolic of Boston, the original name of which was Trimountaine, in reference to the three hills on which the city is said to have been built. In the early chancery documents, Boston was called "Tremontinensis". The cross fleurettée is in honor of the Cathedral's name: The Holy Cross, and a reminder that the first bishop of Boston and other early ecclesiastics were natives of France. At the base the "Barry-wavy" is an allusion to the fact that Boston is one of the most important seaports of the country and was populated by people arriving here from across the sea.

Origins of Boston

Boston, Massachusetts gets its name from Boston, England which in turn is derived from "Botolph's Town", a Lincolnshire community which developed around Ikenho Abbey, founded in the 7th century by St. Botolph (610-680).
In the rendition to the left, St. Botolph carries the Flying Cloud, one of Donald McKay's Boston built clipper ships above an 18th century likeness of Boston, England and its famed church of St. Botolph. The three crown arms of the English Boston is a reference to the Magi, the traditional patrons of merchants.